We can't be friends
by shadowsongtress
Summary: This is a song fic based on the song We can't be friends by RL and Deborah Cox. Tommy and Kim run into each other sparking feelings they thought were hidden. One shot.


Tommy watches Kim out of the corner of his eye. He had been sitting at a table inside the Juice Bar when he spied Kimberly his ex-girlfriend flip onto the balance beam. Before Tommy had spotted Kim he was about to go home for the night but could not move the moment he saw Kim. Therefore, he sat in a back corner watching the girl he thought would love him forever training for the Olympics.

Kim does a flip on the balance beam. Then she does a spin turn that causes her to have her foot angled like a dancer's foot as she spun around. Yes, Kim thinks as she nails the turn. Kim was nervous about performing at the Olympics although she had just competed in the games and won the gold medal she knew that she had to be better than she was to win a medal at the Olympics especially if she had her eyes on gold. Kim does another flip. Come on Kimberly you are almost through it just a few more tricks. Kim wished she had Coach Schmidt to watch her as she trained but she knew he would not be able to see her until her vacation was over in a few days. She sighs trying to push the thoughts that had been slowly attempting to invade her consciousness.

Jason and Kim decided to help their friends build homes for the homeless and Jason was to help Tommy and Adam by joining them in place of Rocky for the tournament. Rocky had injured his back and could not compete in the tournament.

Kim bites her bottom lip as thoughts begin to creep into her mind. I knew coming here was a mistake. Seeing Tommy again proved that. As much as I wanted to help the homeless, seeing Tommy again has made me longed to have stayed in Florida and trained my vacation away with Coach Schmidt and the rest of the gymnasts who decided to stay instead of go home. Kim was letting the thoughts get to her and almost missed a move that she knew like the back of her hand. Stop it and get it together. Kim mentally berates herself as she does a final turn that then a flip off the balance beam. She does the normal gymnast pose to show that she stuck the landing.

Tommy slowly rises from his seat in the corner and claps his hands. He did not want to clap for her but old habits were had to let go. Tommy stops clapping as Kim slowly turns towards him.

"What are you doing here Tommy," Kim questions nervously. "I mean Ernie told me I can train here at night like I did before I…"

"Before you what Kim; let for Florida," Tommy finishes for her bitterly.

Kim looks taken aback by Tommy's tone. "You don't need to say it that way." "I had no idea I was even going to go to Florida besides you wanted me to go."

"I know I did but I wanted you to come home to me as well," Tommy tells Kim heartbrokenly. "That was the plan wasn't it!"

Kim visibly shakes. Tommy had never spoken to her in that manner. "I… know," Kim, tells him in a small voice.

"What was that," Tommy asks with irritation in his voice. "I can barely understand what you are saying to me."

"I said I know," Kim bites her bottom lip. I need a way out of this conversation. "I cannot do this right now Tommy, my mind has to only be on the Olympics."

Tommy shakes his head no strongly. "No, we are going to talk about this right now." "I do not want to carry around this feeling in my heart anymore."

"But Tommy, you have a girlfriend…" Kim starts.

"Do not try to bring Kat into this," Tommy runs a frustrated hand through his hair.

Kim flinches, "Why not?" "She is your girlfriend and I am your uh well…your friend."

"A friend huh; Kim you are not my friend," Tommy tells her.

"Why can't we be friends Tommy?" Kim finally has enough courage to look him in the eyes.

Tommy runs a frustrated hand through his hair again. "You know why."

"I thought after I wrote you that letter that we could be able to move past it and become friends and have a brother and sister relationship." Kim braces herself for Tommy's rage.

"How can I think of you as a sister when we have done things that would get a sister and brother locked up," Tommy can feel himself losing control. "I thought we loved each other; how can we go back to being friends or having a type of bond that you share with the other guys in the gang?" Tommy begins to shake a little and can feel his fists balling up.

Kim closes her eyes to Tommy's wrath. She could feel the fury seeping through his body. "If it makes you feel any better I did not write that letter." Kim holds up her hand to silence him. "My friend Josh wrote the letter for me because I could not write it myself."

"Why would he write the letter and were you too much of a coward to do it yourself," Tommy questions. "Who breaks up through a letter?"

"Apparently I do," Kim tells him barely above a whisper. "Let me explain why?"

Tommy nods his head. "I need to know why." Tommy stops shaking and un-balls his fists. The two had briefly talked after the tournament and came to a small agreement but questions were still left unanswered.

"Coach Schmidt was becoming frustrated with me; he told me I was not focused and either I needed to get my head on straight or return home a failure." Kim licks her lips. "I was talking to Aisha one day and she told me how Kat still had feelings for you although the spell had worn off." Kim shakes her head. "That upset me and I began really messing up my routines, so Coach put me on probation and told me to shake up or ship out." Kim can feel tears forming in her eyes. "I panicked and talked to Josh who came up with the idea of the letter." "I never meant for it to hurt the way it did and I knew that once the deed was done there was no taking it back." Kim can fell the tears slowly falling from her eyes and down her face.

"Why didn't you just talk to me Kim," Tommy questions.

Kim wipes her tears away. "You were dealing with a new evil and our lives were slowly drifting apart." Kim can feel my tears forming in her eyes.

"I don't understand Kim," Tommy tells her. "We had just had a wonderful time during Christmas and you seemed happy."

Kim bites her bottom lip. "I was but the realization hit me as soon as I stepped foot on Florida ground that I was still on probation and my visit only fueled my need to be with you more."

"I would have helped you Kimberly," Tommy shakes his head at her. "No matter how busy I was or what you thought I had on my plate I would have still been there for you."

Kim nods her head. "I believe that." "What can we do?"

"I don't know," Tommy truthfully tells her. "It will be hard trying to be friends when I am still in love with you." It felt both good and bittersweet to Tommy to finally come to terms with his feelings towards his ex-girlfriend Kim.

"We have to Tommy, you are with Kat now," Kim tells him grimacing at the words. "You have to act as though we were never together and are friends until you can actually overcome those feelings towards me and see me as nothing more than a friend and sister."

Tommy stares at Kim before he speaks.

"To just act like we never were." Tommy shakes his head. "To come around and show hurt." "How dare we greet by shaking hands." "Just months ago I was your man… I was your man."

Verbally we agreed it was over and we were through.

Kim tries to find her voice.

"I'm trying to compose myself but I just can't get over you girl," Tommy tells her. "We can't be friends…we can't be friends." "Kim, you know I can't go on being just your friend," Tommy inches towards Kim. "We can't be friends; cause I'm still in love with you."

Kim can only stare at him for a second. "I went by my mother's; saw your car there." "To her you are still family and it don't seem fair." Kim's mother had stop by to see how the selling of the house was coming along. "For everyone to just go on and I have tried and I can't do it cause I am still torn." Kim can feel the heat radiating off Tommy as he closes the distance between them. "I tried to think of you as just another love in my past that didn't last." "But it's not that simple baby." "We can't be friends…we can't be friends if we can't be lovers." "We can't be friends cause I still in love."

You may see me staring or catch me in a daze. May see me hang my head when you come my way. Don't get to close to me and expect me to behave.

"I might just steal a kiss…" Tommy starts.

Kim cuts him off, "If you come near my face."

What I'm trying to say. We can't be friends.

"We can't be friends," Tommy reaches out and places a hand over Kim's heart. He can feel her heart beating at a rapid pace. "We can't be friends."

"Can't you look me in the eyes and honestly say you don't love me oh ho," Kim asks with a little tremble as Tommy wraps his arm around her.

We can't be friends. We can't be friends.

"Kimberly you know," Tommy tells Kim becoming breathless.

"As far as I know," Kim replies.

We can't be friends.

"I never find another love like you," Tommy and Kim say at the same time.

Tommy leans in closer to Kim. "I love you too much baby."

"I love you too much," Kim, breathes in Tommy's scent. He was still wearing the cologne she got him for his birthday. She thought he would have thrown it away.

"We can't be friends cause I am still in love with you," Kim and Tommy say simultaneously. "I am still in love with you," the ex-couple finishes saying together.

Tommy leans down as Kim lifts up her head for a kiss. The two cannot kiss because Kat walks in and spies Tommy and Kim.

"What is going on here," Kat questions although she knew. She had walked to the door just as Kim had landed in the gymnast pose.

"I...," Tommy tries to explain.

Kim moves out of Tommy's embrace. She was mortified that Kat had seen them together.

"What, Tommy," Kat questions. "The fact that I see you almost kiss your ex-girlfriend?"

"It is not like that Kat," Kim replies for Tommy. "Why we were just chatting about how we are only friends more like brother and sister."

Kat gives Kim a yeah-right expression. "So is that how people in America do it hum?" "Do brothers and sisters kiss like they are lovers?"

"No, they don't," Tommy answers. "I cannot keep up a charade." "I am sorry Kim but I just can't do that; it would not be fair to Kat, you or me." Tommy looks at Kat. "I still love Kim."

"I figured that by the embrace and that almost kiss," Kat responds with a sigh. "Before you two try to explain I heard the whole conversation." "I came to see if you were still here Tommy after I called your house and you were not there."

Kim shakes her head no. "I am not breaking you two up over my mistake."

Tommy turns to look at Kim speechless. I thought she learned from her mistake and wanted to give us another go.

Before Kim can speak, Kat starts to. "Listen Kim I always knew Tommy never stopped loving you and even though he tried to make me feel as number one I always felt that I could never be his number one no matter how hard he tried." Kat looks from Tommy to Kim. "I am hurt but I am not upset since I decided to test the relationship out even if I knew he was not over you."

"I don't know what to say," Kim tells her honestly.

"Well, I don't think you have to say anything to me but to Tommy," Kat looks at Kim. "I think you have something to say to me."

Kim stares at Kat confused. "What is that?"

"If you ever hurt Tommy again I will make you wish you had never stepped foot back in Angel Grove again," Kat tells Kim with a stern look. "Tommy, thank you for making me feel special even if it was for a little while." "I am hurting but it will pass." Kat looks at the pair one more time before she walks over to Tommy and kisses him on the cheek. "Goodbye," Kat walks out the Youth Center doors and into the night's cool air.

"Well that was unexpected," Tommy turns and looks at Kim. "So, are we going to give it another go or we just going to act out this charade?"

Kim glances at Tommy. "I want to be with you." Kim breathes inwardly as Tommy embraces her again. "I meant it I am still in love with you."

"And I am still in love with you," Tommy tells her as he leans his face down next to hers.

Kim's lips tremble as Tommy moves the last tenth of an inch and kisses her. "So does this mean the Falcon and Crane are bonded again?"

"Beautiful, of course we are back together again Handsome and Beautiful," Tommy kisses Kim again. "So, your mother told me she decided to stay at a hotel for the night leaving your old house alone for the taking."

"I say do you still have that blanket and pillows in your jeep," Kim giggles.

Tommy grins, "A good power ranger always comes prepared." "Why I even loaded up on condoms although those were for Adam and Tanya." Tommy chuckles. "You know how shy he is and buying condoms well he blushes at the mere thought."

"Aw, that is so cute," Kim smiles up at him. "Tommy, I don't think you have any candles in that jeep, do you?"

"I have something better, my turbo powers to light the way," Tommy smiles at Kim. "We may need to stop at the store and buy some snacks and such."

Kim shakes her head. "I can't believe our first night as a couple again and the first thing we are going to do as an official couple again is make love."

"I can," Tommy, grins as he picks up Kim's gym bag and holds her hand with the other.

Kim grins as she locks the Youth Center doors. "Good thing Ernie let me keep my key to the Juice Bar."

"I have one in case you didn't," Tommy tells her as he opens the car door for her and puts her bag in the back seat.

"My favorite white knight in shining armor or should I say my favorite red knight in shining armor," Kim smiles as Tommy slides into the car.


End file.
